


home is where the heart is

by crispytins



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic Revealed, circa season one, mentions of ealdor, much soft....much fluff, short and sweet.....i think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 05:15:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20558831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crispytins/pseuds/crispytins
Summary: Arthur finds out. And honestly, that's okay.





	home is where the heart is

**Author's Note:**

> Another thing from Twitter that I'm just kinda dumping here. If you're wondering about where the Let Me Lead You chapter is, it's due for to drop this month. Apologies for its lateness; summer homework and classes got in the way, but it'll be out soon.

“I don’t understand why you’ve stuck around for so long.”  
  
There was a tremor in Arthur’s voice that Merlin recognized as disbelief, as if he couldn't fathom why Merlin would remain by his side.  
  
“You could’ve left,” he said quietly. “You didn’t have to stay.”  
  
Merlin ventured a step forward, raising his knuckles up to brush hair from Arthur’s temple.  
  
He smiled. “You ridiculous man.” Because it would take time for him to adjust and understand, to pair his heart with Merlin’s and feel the beat that sustained itself for him, always for him.   
  
“Where would I go?”  
  
“Ealdor.” Arthur’s response was immediate before he blinked, hesitantly so. 

  
Merlin’s hand drifted to hold the side of his cheek, and the prince contentedly leaned into its warmth. Arthur thought himself selfish for indulging in it, but he did not pull away. “I guess I can’t really think of anywhere else,” he murmured.  
  
Merlin held his gaze, something like starlight dancing in his irises. “Because there isn’t anywhere else, Arthur.”  
  
Ealdor was home, a distant place for a small, scared boy who didn’t understand the ways and wiles of the world, who didn’t understand why wheat grew only to fall. Long ago it had been a refuge, a familiar landscape he could map behind tightly closed lids. 

  
But Ealdor was far away. Camelot was pulsing, alive, with the spokes of the future sowing seeds into its harvest. Camelot was close.   
And, after all, Camelot had Arthur.  
  
Surely that was all that was left to convince Merlin to stay.

“You’re not like the others,” he whispered, thumb brushing against Arthur’s cheekbone in a gentle forward motion. “You haven’t run away yet.”

Arthur's eyes fluttered shut. "I'm not going to," he promised. His hand settled atop of Merlin's, and he entwined their fingers together. "I'm not going anywhere." 


End file.
